john13@garfield.UUCP (09/29/86)
[]
Some observations and questions on the terminal programs available
for the Amiga. I'm sure there are many I haven't seen, please feel
free to add your own thoughts and comments.
Gizmos terminal: simple and fairly complete, if fancy features aren't
important. Doesn't do scrolling regions, but does do the VT100 LED's; what are
they used for? I've never seen one come on!
Digital Link: Gizterm with file transfers in xmodem, text, amiga binary,
and simple modem. Can owners of Gizmos upgrade for a small fee? DLink also
for some reason behaves better with systems that use odd timing which
confuses other term programs at logon time (Gizterm and Online!).
Online!: loaded with features such as scripts, file transfers, character
mapping tables, and function key support. The terminal emulation irks me:
when I tried it, it turned reverse video and underline ON, but not OFF.
Try reading Netnews in underlined reverse video sometime.
Public domain offerings: I'm eager to see DBW's VT100 emulator, it sounds
like a composite of all the above (the good features!). Kermit will be
a blessing, and scripts, and 48 line screens, and...public domain!?!?
Compare with above commercial products.
Gripes, complaints and questions: stray control characters seem to switch
into the alternate character set, and there is no way I've found to get
back (not even with CTRL-o as in CLI mode, not even with local echo on).
The only option is to exit and start over (a good argument for not dropping
DTR). Gizterm and Online! have trouble with the local university system's
timing: you must go through a strange logon sequence beginning with 8 bit
words and receiving garbage until you log on, after which you can switch
to 7 bit words. And DLink's file transfers cause complete terminal
lockup when trying to "synchronize" with a non-transmitting host. Again,
you must exit (reboot actually, since you can't select quit from the menu).
I don't know about Online!'s performance here.
Anyone have anything to add/explain/criticize?
John Russell
UUCP: {akgua,allegra,cbosgd,ihnp4,utcsri}!garfield!john13
CDNNET: john13@garfield.mun.cdnjacobson@uiucuxe.CSO.UIUC.EDU (10/02/86)
I use online! regularily myself, and usually do not have any problems with it When it gets the stray characters I just go to half duplex and do the ctrl o bit, and back to full duplex. Online! works fine for what I do with the local Cyber, Prime and Pyramid systems that I have access to. The VT emulation is fine for my uses, and seems good, but I know some of my friends do find it to not be "perfect" My only problems have been with what Online! does with the keymaps and how that causes problems with 1.2. This only occurs with the VT emulation modes. The rest work fine, with 1.2. I have to use setmap before running Online! so that I can use VT emulation (ie. setmap usa0). Hope that we get a new version of Online! that gets around this, as I cannot get my setmap command to work in the batch startup-sequence. I have Maxicomm, and several other PD emulators, but I never use them. I find Online! has done me well for most of my telecommunicating.
vanam@pttesac.UUCP (Marnix van Ammers) (10/05/86)
In article <24500021@uiucuxe> jacobson@uiucuxe.CSO.UIUC.EDU writes: > >I use online! regularily myself, and usually do not have any problems with it ... >I have Maxicomm, and several other PD emulators, but I never use them. I >find Online! has done me well for most of my telecommunicating. Online! is great unless you've got a 2400+ baud modem. Online! has a throughput of only ~1100 baud. Except for speed, it's excellent. Marnix (that's my name -- not my OS)
cs195@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (eecs 195 ) (10/06/86)
In article <294@pttesac.UUCP> vanam@pttesac.UUCP (-Root Admin-) writes: >Online! is great unless you've got a 2400+ baud modem. Online! has >a throughput of only ~1100 baud. Except for speed, it's excellent. > >Marnix (that's my name -- not my OS) YES, It took me several hours to figure this out. It came in the land-line at 2400 baud, into the amiga's buffer at 2400 baud, and then onto the screen at 1150 baud! Online! has a couple nice features, but for the above problem I label it crap. The PD vt100 program posted to the net is 200% better!!! The real joke is that Micro-systems sells a 2400 baud modem with Online!. Roger.
6105530@PUCC.BITNET (Daniel Kimberg) (10/07/86)
I have to agree about online! - it really isn't that great, and the
speed sinks it. Also, I'm not happy with the way it handles the
different config files. Aside from that, could someone send me the
latest VT100 source? I know it was only here recently, but it
disappeared before I could grab a hold, and now seems to be gone.
Thanks,
-Dan